Features editor Zamatungwa Khumalo at the eSwatini border post, on one of her many travel adventures in South Africa
I’ve always been a traveller at heart. I found the journey to school exciting and would often wonder what the different neighbourhoods our kombi drove past were like. Did the children who lived there have the same issues as me? I was six at the time, so my issues were probably my homework and whether my mother would let me play late with my friends.
Most school holidays in my formative years were spent at my aunt’s place in Orange Farm. The trip to that part of town from Emdeni, Soweto, involved three taxis, and getting there always felt like an eternity. It was at this age that I learnt about how segregated South Africa used to be, how black South Africans did not have freedom of movement.
My love for adventure has seen me pack my bags just before New Year’s Eve and make my way to Swaziland, by public transport, to climb the highest mountain in the kingdom. It’s seen me go skiing in Lesotho and a year later, return to summit Thabana Ntlenyana, the highest mountain in the region. I’m always searching for a new place to enjoy, from the small unknown town in remote parts of this country, to the usual suspects: Durban and Cape Town.
As we celebrate 25 years of democracy in South Africa, this supplement focuses on what South Africa’s tourism has to offer. We start by profiling 25 trailblazers in the tourism industry. These are people who are playing a role in shaping some of the many experiences we have as we traverse South Africa. We tell you what activities you can pursue in destinations such as Mpumalanga and the Cape and highlight South Africa’s National Parks.
We hope you enjoy this special edition and find new ideas for your next adventure!